Not Just Another Communist Thread!

[cactusflower]

I prefer all state debts of every country to be cancelled outright, just like in ancient Mesopotamia (just after the death of each king), and just like the imperialist powers of the 19th century did (by defaulting regularly on debts raised for war). That should signal to the financial fat cats who's boss.

Interesting trivia, by the way. That goes to show the limitations of defaults by individual nation-states.

Somebody has to go first - the idea of a simultaneous global default is utopian. It was a close run thing though. The Bolsheviks had every confidence that others would follow. WWI ended with major social insurrections across Europe, The British navy had mutinied. Germany was close to revolution and it took the Social democrats to have Luxembourg and Liebknecht killed to prevent it. If Germany had completed its revolution and defaulted it would have had an enormous impact.

[BrendanGalway]

Somebody has to go first - the idea of a simultaneous global default is utopian. It was a close run thing though. The Bolsheviks had every confidence that others would follow. WWI ended with major social insurrections across Europe, The British navy had mutinied. Germany was close to revolution and it took the Social democrats to have Luxembourg and Liebknecht killed to prevent it. If Germany had completed its revolution and defaulted it would have had an enormous impact.

Very interesting post! While I know Google is my friend, can you recommend any decent reading for the situation you mention in Germany and its possible ramifications?

[Jacob Richter]

Somebody has to go first - the idea of a simultaneous global default is utopian. It was a close run thing though. The Bolsheviks had every confidence that others would follow. WWI ended with major social insurrections across Europe, The British navy had mutinied. Germany was close to revolution and it took the Social democrats to have Luxembourg and Liebknecht killed to prevent it. If Germany had completed its revolution and defaulted it would have had an enormous impact.

Well, "practically speaking," a simultaneous default by the US, the developed countries within the EU, and Japan would be more than enough.

[sarahj]

There's no iPods under communism.

This is getting pathetically facetious.

You are a troll.

[sarahj]

It would indeed be unusual in let’s say Russia or Canada if 3% of the population owned that proportion of the land, given that these nations are for a fact vast, and sparsely populated. However, although Ireland is not amongst the most densely populated nations of the world, it still has an extremely limiting holdback in that it does not have a large surface area for most uses. All of this land in turn needs to be farmed extensively by the 3% or so in charge of it for two reasons (1) food supply, and (2) as an important exporting entity. There is no point to all of this area been in the hands of anybody bar farmers, or other food growers as these newfound owners would not put any productive use into the same area now been used for agricultural activities. And once again where would we get the extra farmers from? Once again they would have to come from other sectors of the economy such as those of Tertiary and Industrial producing domains, simply to partake in a form of subsistence agriculture..
Again by having 3% owning the land surface, providing they are responsible and good stewards of course, we are assured of three things, (a) full food supply, (b) ensuring that agriculture remains profitable for export, and (c) allowing the rest of the population to work in offices or industry. Again do not forget that by giving others the land to farm they would have neither (a) as large a wage as they do now, and (b) a less diversified diet as they would have to farm for themselves, and neither have enough of a wage to purchase much of the food they do now under a clerical/ tertiary/ industrial etc. wage. Out of curiosity why have you not cared to point out, or mention the fact that farming as a profession is in terminal decline in Ireland- with many farmers having to resort to taking up part time work to subsidise their annual earnings? How is adding more farmers to the land going to solve this, already faltering state of affairs in regards to land use? The only time a farm should be purchased by the Government by order of compulsion is when if a sufficient portion of subterranean mineral deposits or raw materials have been discovered, which need to be harvested and extracted on site, or for other similar industrial developments which benefit the state, and it’s population.

Communism is not just about land and farming.

Anyway - we won't just have communism if we vote for it, it doesn't quite work that way.

[sarahj]

I have asked you a question you have failed to answer it , il ask you again how will commnism pay our natioanl debt ?

Communism won't pay our national debt because it will take years and probably decades before we can achieve a state which could be called communism.

The path to communism could help us sort our national debt by allowing the spoils of production be used by the people for their interests - if the people choose to pay off the national debt, then the fruits of production can be used to do that.

[Cael]

In my opinion there should be no question of a Communist state paying off the bourgeois debts.

[sarahj]

In my opinion there should be no question of a Communist state paying off the bourgeois debts.

I agree - but it is up to the people.